A CHRISTIAN brethren group's plans to set up a meeting room in Horsforth could lead to traffic problems, it has been claimed.

Residents close to Brownberrie Lane fear there will be parking problems and more traffic on a nearby road already busy with cars heading to Leeds Bradford Airport.

And they are also concerned that the scheme before Leeds City Council to change the use of a residential bunglow to a meeting room could end up being a small school.

Brian Hanson, trustee, of the Ashley Meeting Room Trust, Wynmore Avenue, Bramhope, said: "If the application is successful we hope to upgrade the bungalow to the standard of housing nearby."

If approved, the conversion of Overfields would accommodate around 35 people. At present, the bungalow has a neatly trimmed beech hedge and there is a neat lawn with planted roses. The windows are covered in wire mesh.

One resident, who did not wish to be named, said she understood it was the intention of the group to knock down the garage and part of the kitchen and make the front garden into a parking bay.

"We are not happy about the news. They already have a large meeting room further up the road which can cater for about 600 people which should be sufficient for their needs," she said.

And Brian Lancaster, of Brownberrie Drive, said: "I understand they are going to gut the bungalow completely and create one big room so they can hold two prayer meetings a week. We don't know initially if this is going to affect us or not but we are concerned there may be parking problems especially at the corner of the road," he said.

His wife, Joyce, added: "We are objecting because they have a large property further up the road and I feel they should be able to find sufficient space there for their meetings. The bungalow was built as a private residence and should remain so."

Jonathan Tearle, head teacher of a Leeds school, who lives in Brownberrie Drive, said he intended writing to the council objecting to the proposal. "Those attending the meetings will no doubt park in the drive. People already park in the drive when they want to watch cricket at the club across Brownberrie Lane while others leave their cars in the drive when they use the railway station.

"I know they are planning parking spaces in the grounds of the bungalow but I suspect they will still park their cars in the drive. I feel they may later use the premises to educate children," he said.

Mr Hanson said: "We have no intention of parking on the side of the road. Provision for parking has been made within the curtilage of the residence. There will be only nine or ten cars using Brownberrie Lane twice a week. It is unlikely there will be any noise because we do not hold car boot sales or have jazz sessions. We need this meeting room so that people living nearby can use it," he said.

As to the suggestion the meeting room may be used as a school at a later date, Mr Hanson said: "The premises will be used as a meeting room and not as a school. The room would not be big enough for a school."

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